BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--CHARACTER INTERVIEW WITH E.F. WATKINS' QUINN MATTHEWS

Today we sit down for a chat with Quinn Matthews from The Quinn Matthews Haunting Mysteries by E. F. Watkins.

What was your life like before your author started pulling your strings? 

Much more grounded in everyday reality! My biggest problems were that my newspaper job, writing about architecture and interior design for the Union County Sentinel, had been downsized to part-time, and my relationship with investigative reporter Tom Greiner also had cooled off. But those issues seem tame to me now, compared with what was to come!

What’s the one trait you like most about yourself? 

I never thought I was particularly brave, but I’ve been able to keep my head in some pretty hair-raising situations. And I guess I should mention empathy, too, because I’m now a certified “empath.”

What do you like least about yourself? 

I’m still not totally comfortable with my psychic abilities, since I only developed them over the past couple of years. In certain environments, such as jails or hospitals, I get overwhelmed by the negative impressions that have accumulated there. 

What is the strangest thing your author has had you do or had happen to you? 

In Dark Music, a ghost actually walked through me, which made me nauseous and dizzy. My mentor Gail said those sensations are normal, though, and next time I should just tell the ghost not to do that.

Do you argue with your author? If so, what do you argue about? 

I get pretty impatient sometimes with my on-again, off-again boyfriend Tom, but Eileen keeps encouraging me to give him another chance. And he did sort of come to my rescue at the end of Hex, Death & Rock ‘n’ Roll.

What is your greatest fear? 

That I’ll come up against some evil, demonic entity that neither Gail nor I know how to handle, and it will either possess me or drive me crazy!

What makes you happy? 

Being able to use my abilities to benefit other people. In addition to helping some trapped spirits move on, I’ve also solved a couple of earth-bound murders.

If you could rewrite a part of your story, what would it be? Why? 

I wish I’d gotten to at least have a fling with Alan, the rock singer in Hex. He was gorgeous and so was his condo! At least I got to write about his pad for a shelter magazine that paid me well.

Of the other characters in your book, which one bugs you the most? Why? Probably Tom. We do have a lot in common, both being inquisitive, persistent journalists. But he’s got a fear of commitment, then gets jealous if I even look at someone else. He needs to make up his mind!

Of the other characters in your book, which one would you love to trade places with? Why? 

Sometimes I think if I have to be psychic, I’d like to do it Gail’s way. She’s done a lot of scholarly research, traveled around the world, written books, and has her own weekly cable show. She picks and chooses her cases and generally knows what she’s getting into…much more than I do.

Tell us a little something about your author. Where can readers find her website/blog?

E. F. (Eileen) Watkins also has written paranormal thrillers. Two involved a centuries-old vampire doing remote viewing for the U.S. government in the late 1990s; the others are all stand-alones. Now she writes The Cat Groomer Mysteries for Kensington, which are a bit “cozier” than my tales—at least, no risk of demonic possession. Her website, where you also can find her blog, is at www.efwatkins.com.  

What's next for you? 

I’m delighted that the Quinn Matthews Haunting Mysteries have just been re-published by Crossroad Press, as both ebooks and trade paperbacks. It remains to be seen whether I will have any more paranormal adventures in the future, or whether I’ll finally get a chance to settle back into a “normal” life. And whether or not I’ll be with Tom in the end!

Dark Music

A Quinn Matthews Haunting Mystery, Book 1

After single journalist Quinn Matthews buys a Victorian house in the suburbs, her efforts to restore the place in true 19th-century style are hampered by strange accidents. She also hears classical piano music and gunshots from no earthly source, and an unstable next-door neighbor accuses her of “stirring up trouble” with her renovations. Finally, Quinn accepts that her dream house is haunted, and to lay the ghosts to rest she must re-investigate the murder of its first owner—a dashing classical pianist whose love life was far from “Victorian.”

Buy Links

paperback

ebook 

DECORATING WITH JEANIE--GUEST AUTHOR E. F. WATKINS

Award-winning author E. F. Watkins specializes in paranormal mystery and suspense. She’s also a founding member of the Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers. Today she’s here to discuss decorating with us. Seem like an odd combination? Read on. Learn more about E. F. at her website and more about Dark Music here. -- AP

Quinn Matthews, the heroine/sleuth of my new paranormal mystery Dark Music, writes about architecture and interior design for a living. She buys the Victorian house of her dreams in a quiet New Jersey suburb, only to discover it is haunted. The ghosts awaken latent psychic abilities Quinn didn't know she possessed, turn her life upside down and even thwart her attempts to sell the place. The only way she can lay them to rest is to solve a 100-year-old crime—the murder of the house's first owner, whose love life was far from "Victorian"!

Buy Link

All of this should be enough to keep any single 30-something busy, but Quinn graciously has taken time out from both her journalistic career and her sideline as a psychic sleuth to offer a few tips on decorating a 19th-century house on a slim budget:

The basic care and feeding of a Victorian home can strain anyone's finances, before you even think of furnishing it to suit the period. Good antiques from more than 100 years ago don't come cheap! If you weren't lucky enough to find a stash of these in your attic, here are a few ways to “cheat” with style:

* Scour vintage shops for pieces from the 1940s, which often had a neo-Victorian look. You should be able to find plenty of solid wooden furniture with curves, carving, inlay and other ornate touches. The pieces may be a bit more simplified than high Victorian, but that just makes them easier to dust—and much cheaper!

* If you love the lines of a piece but not the finish, you can strip it and refinish it—which calls for some real skill and elbow grease—or you can just prime and paint it. For the "shabby chic" effect, paint it white or a light pastel shade, change the knobs to cut-glass or flowered ceramic, and maybe add an old-fashioned floral decal in a key spot.

* Want the effect of dramatic Victorian wall treatments without spending a lot on wallpaper? Get a deep wallpaper border in a style you like, apply it near the ceiling and paint the rest of the wall to coordinate. Rich shades like rose, rust and gold are true to the period, though you may want to go lighter if your rooms are small.

* Intact throw pillows from 100 years ago are hard to come by, so try 1940s barkcloth in a romantic floral. The full drapery panels can be pricey, but all you need for a pillow or two is a remnant. Center a partial landscape or big burst of flowers on a round or square pillow form, and trim it in satiny braid or fringe for a Victorian look.

    

* If you like to needlepoint or crochet, you can make your own pillow covers in Victorian styles. Sometimes you can find an old needlepointed pillow “front” among the linens in an antique shop—just use a sturdy, solid-colored cotton or velvet for the back. Tack an old, crocheted doily onto a plain or calico pillow to give it that turn-of-the-century look.

* Have any old photos of your ancestors from that period? Display them—or copies if the originals are too frail—in antique or antique-looking frames. They'll add a touch of your own, personal past to your decor.

* Found a battered old trunk in the basement or attic? Clean it up yourself, or let a professional restore it, then display it as a coffee table or a funky storage piece. Finally, be sure to hang onto any contents of the trunk—such as period clothing, keys, a scrapbook or a journal—that provide clues to the history of your house. They might come in handy, just in case it turns out to be haunted! (Trust me on this…)